Child Benefit and Universal Credit: how to apply

Child Benefit and Universal Credit are two separate benefits run by different government departments, and they are often confused. This guide explains how each one works, how to apply and where it is easiest to go wrong. Remember: the rules depend on your individual circumstances (work, immigration status, savings), so if in doubt, get help from Citizens Advice.

In short

• Child Benefit is a fixed weekly amount for each child, paid by HMRC. It does not depend on income, but if you earn a lot you may have to pay a tax charge (the High Income Child Benefit Charge).
• It is worth claiming Child Benefit even if you earn a lot, because it gives you credits towards your pension (National Insurance credits).
• Universal Credit (UC) is monthly help with living costs for people on a low income, whether in work or not, paid by the DWP.
• The first UC payment usually takes about 5 weeks, but you can ask for an advance.
• Your immigration status matters: settled status is usually enough, while with pre-settled status you also need to show a right to reside.

Child Benefit: who can get it

You can claim Child Benefit if you are responsible for a child under 16 (or under 20 if they are in education or approved training) and you live in the UK. Only one person can get the benefit for each child, but you can claim for any number of children.

If you have settled status (EU Settlement Scheme), you can claim. With pre-settled status you also need to meet one of a set of conditions, for example working with earnings above the National Insurance threshold for 3 months in a row, being a jobseeker (for up to 91 days), having enough money to support your family, or studying. If you are not sure whether you qualify, call the Child Benefit Office. The full criteria are on GOV.UK.

Rates for 2026/27

From 6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027:

• £27.05 a week for the eldest (or only) child,
• £17.90 a week for each additional child.

As of October 2026, check the current rates: GOV.UK (Child Benefit rates).

Child Benefit: how to apply

You can claim 48 hours after registering your child's birth, or once the child comes to live with you. Most people claim online through GOV.UK, and HMRC's contact page also mentions the official HMRC app, where you can make a new claim and update your details. You can also claim by phone or on a paper form.

1. Have ready your child's birth or adoption certificate, your bank details, your National Insurance number and your partner's (if you have them).
2. If the birth was registered outside the UK, you will need to send the original birth certificate and the child's passport or the travel document they used to enter the UK (an eVisa is checked without a share code). Documents are usually returned within 4 weeks.
3. Claim online. If you do not have the birth certificate, you can still claim, but it will take longer to process.
4. You can choose to receive the payments or opt out of them (see below), while still making the claim.

You can get backdated payments for a maximum of 3 months from the date you claim. So do not wait.

Child Benefit Office helpline: 0300 200 3100 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm). From abroad: +44 161 210 3086.

High income: the High Income Child Benefit Charge

If your adjusted net income is over £60,000 a year, you pay an extra tax charge: 1% of the Child Benefit paid for every £200 above that threshold. With an income of £80,000 or more, you pay back the full amount. If both partners are over the threshold, the partner with the higher income pays.

You have two options:

• receive Child Benefit and pay the charge (through PAYE or Self Assessment; Self Assessment is required in some cases, for example if you are self-employed or have interest income),
• opt out of the payments and not pay the charge.

Why claim even if you earn a lot? Claiming gives you National Insurance credits, meaning the time counts towards your State Pension, and your child is automatically given a National Insurance number. A parent of a child under 12 who is registered for Child Benefit gets the credits automatically, even if they do not receive the money; it is also possible to transfer credits between partners. This matters especially for a parent who is not working or works few hours.

Thresholds as of October 2026, check the current figures: GOV.UK (High Income Child Benefit Charge). As of 19 October 2026, GOV.UK describes an individual test (a £60,000 threshold); check whether the government has since changed it to a household income test.

Universal Credit: who can claim

UC is for people who live in the UK, are aged 18 or over (with exceptions for 16 and 17-year-olds), are under State Pension age and have no more than £16,000 in savings. Couples claim jointly, even if only one of them meets the conditions.

Immigration status

• Settled status: this status lets you claim public funds, including UC, without an additional right to reside test.
• Pre-settled status: you have access to public funds, but you must also show a right to reside, for example as a worker. Payslips and an employment contract will help.
• If you have recently lived outside the UK (even if you are a British citizen), you must also pass the habitual residence test, which means showing that your main home is in the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands.
• If your status does not allow access to public funds, do not claim without getting advice: the claim will be refused and could harm your immigration case.

The right to reside requirement for people with pre-settled status applies; talk to Citizens Advice before you claim.

How to set up an account and claim UC

1. Before you claim, check whether you would be better off. If you receive other benefits, they may stop when you move to UC. Use a calculator (see below) or call Citizens Advice Help to Claim.
2. Create an online account on GOV.UK. You need an email address and a phone. If you live with a partner, you each have your own account, and you link them when you make the claim.
3. You must complete the claim within 28 days of creating the account, otherwise you have to start again. The day you submit the claim is when your entitlement starts.
4. Have ready your identity document (for example a passport), bank details, and information about your housing, earnings, savings and childcare costs.
5. You may be asked to have a phone call or an appointment at the jobcentre. Before your first payment you must agree and accept your claimant commitment.

If you cannot get online, call the UC helpline on 0800 328 5644 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm) or go to a jobcentre (where you can claim with help from a member of staff). If you need an interpreter, ask for one when you call the Help to Claim line.

The 0800 328 5644 number covers England, Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland, Universal Credit is run by the Department for Communities (check the number on nidirect.gov.uk). In Scotland you can choose to have UC paid twice a month.

Waiting time and advances

UC is paid monthly, usually 7 days after the end of each monthly assessment period. The first payment takes about 5 weeks. If you need money sooner, you can ask for an advance. An advance is repaid from your future UC payments; check the conditions on the GOV.UK page about advances.

Journal, claimant commitment and sanctions

You communicate with the DWP through the journal in your account. Check it regularly, because that is where questions and deadlines appear. Staff will never ask you for your bank details through the journal, by phone, text or email.

The claimant commitment is a written agreement about the steps you will take to look for work or increase your earnings. If you do not carry them out, or miss an appointment without a good reason, you may get a sanction, meaning your payment is reduced or stopped. If this means you cannot pay for rent, heating or food, you can ask for a hardship payment. If you are struggling to meet your commitments, contact the helpline as soon as possible.

Work, UC and housing costs

When you start working, UC does not stop straight away. Your payment goes down by 55p for every £1 you earn (the taper rate). People responsible for a child (or with a disability) have a work allowance, which is the amount you can earn before your UC is reduced: £427 a month if your UC includes housing costs, or £710 a month if it does not. If your payment has dropped to zero and no more than 6 months have passed since your last payment, UC restarts automatically.

From 6 April 2026 the two-child limit has been abolished: the child element is paid for every child, although the benefit cap still applies. In 2026/27 the standard allowance for a single person aged 25 or over is £424.90 a month. You can get back up to 85% of your childcare costs if you work; you cannot have a Tax-Free Childcare account at the same time. From 6 April 2026 the maximum childcare amounts are £1,071.09 a month for one child and £1,836.16 for two or more children.

Housing costs. UC can cover part of your rent. For private tenants, the amount of help is set by the Local Housing Allowance (LHA), which depends on the area and the number of bedrooms; you can check the rates with the LHA-Direct tool. The money is usually paid to you, and you pass it on to your landlord. Details: GOV.UK on housing costs.

Amounts are for 2026/27 (as of October 2026); they change every year from April, so they may be different from April 2027. Check the current figures: GOV.UK.

Benefit calculators

GOV.UK lists three independent, free and anonymous calculators: entitledto, Turn2us and Policy in Practice. You will find the list on the Benefit calculators page. The result is an estimate, not an official decision.

Watch out for scams

People pretending to be HMRC or the DWP (texts about a ‘tax refund’ or a ‘blocked benefit’, links to fake websites) are a real problem. Only apply through GOV.UK. Do not pay anyone to help you claim: help from GOV.UK and Citizens Advice is free.

Where to get help

• Citizens Advice Help to Claim (free help with a UC claim, interpreter available): England 0800 144 8444, Scotland 0800 023 2581, Wales 08000 241 220 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm).
• Universal Credit helpline (DWP): 0800 328 5644 (England, Scotland, Wales).
• Child Benefit Office (HMRC): 0300 200 3100, gov.uk/find-hmrc-contacts/child-benefit-general-enquiries.
• Citizens Advice: advice on benefits and immigration status.